Chow Daddy's coming to Bluffton's Belfair Towne Village

Some say the building is cursed.

Some say the right restaurant just hasn't come there yet.

Some say it's an "east side, west side" problem in Bluffton's Belfair Towne Village (this might just be me, but it can't be a coincidence that all the longstanding businesses there are to the right of the entrance and all the empty buildings are to the left, can it?).

Whatever you think the reason for the spotty successes at 15 Towne Drive, where four others have come and gone, an established restaurateur seems up for the challenge of making the location work.

Chow Daddy's, a "buns, bowls and tacos" restaurant on Hilton Head Island, will open its second location by the end of May, said co-owner Price Beall. The Hilton Head restaurant at 14-B Executive Park Road opened last April, and Beall, who owns the restaurant with his brother, Sandy, said it has been successful enough to try out a new location.

"We're having fun with it," Price Beall said.

Price Beall also owns Truffles Cafe with his wife, Karen. The restaurant has locations at 71 Lighthouse Road on Hilton Head and neighboring 91 Towne Drive in Bluffton.

Chow Daddy's menu offers pork buns, tacos and meat and vegetarian bowls, Price Beall said.

"Farm-to-table is an overused term, but everything we do is fresh," he said.

And he also hopes to unite unlikely dinner companions:

"Vegans can enjoy a meal (here) with their carnivore friends," Price Beall joked.

But what I was interested in knowing was: Why did he choose the location he did?

All-American Bar and Grill recently closed at the site, which was also the former home of Plums Restaurant, Nathan's Famous and Back Yard Burgers.

That's a lot of changeover for one building, especially when you consider its neighbors, Arby's and Quizno's, are both out of business, leaving vacant buildings with weeds sprouting between parking spaces.

Price Beall cited the building's cost as well as its "exposure to the road" as factors in deciding to move in.

"It's as good as anywhere," he said. "It's over in (an area) everyone knows."

So why did the other restaurants move out? No one is exactly sure, but in looking at this, a few thoughts have occurred to me. First, All-American Bar and Grill may not have succeeded because its owner didn't intend for it to be a long-term establishment.

Then there's Plums, whose original restaurant continues to be successful on Beaufort's waterfront. It might not have had the same appeal without the stunning location (eating seafood and watching the traffic on U.S. 278 doesn't have the same effect).

Nathan's Famous might not be famous for everyone. A Coney Island, N.Y.-based establishment, the hot-dog chain is internationally recognized, but could trigger a nostalgia only in Yankee transplants -- not so much for those Lowcountry born and bred.

Back Yard Burgers, the original tenant, might have just been another burger joint in town, competing directly with its neighbor Wendy's, which was cheaper and more familiar to potential customers.

I guess we'll have to sit back with our pork or veggie bowls to see if Chow Daddy's has the secret ingredient to make a location with considerable turnover work.

And now that we have a new tenant there, we can talk about what's really important: How do we get a Cookout to take over the former Arby's next door?

Follow reporter Ashley Fahey at twitter.com/IPBG_Ashley.

Related content:

• Beaufort's Sea Island Carriage Company under new ownership , April 9, 2015
• 32-year-old Hilton Head ice cream shop undergoes major renovation , April 2, 2015

This story was originally published April 30, 2015 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Chow Daddy's coming to Bluffton's Belfair Towne Village ."